Requirements Elicitation Skill

Purpose

This skill enables AI assistants to conduct professional requirements elicitation sessions, gathering comprehensive business requirements from stakeholders across various project types (Web, Mobile, ERP, CRM, CDP, E-commerce) using industry-standard techniques.

When to Use This Skill

• Starting a new project or feature development

• Conducting discovery or inception phases

• Gathering requirements for system enhancements

• Understanding business problems and opportunities

• Preparing for BRD/FRS documentation

Core Elicitation Techniques

1. Stakeholder Interviews

Best for: Deep dive into individual perspectives, sensitive topics, executive input

Approach:

• Preparation: Research stakeholder background, role, and pain points

• Structure: Use semi-structured format (prepared questions + flexibility)

• Duration: 45-60 minutes per session

• Question Framework: Use 5W1H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How)

Question Types:

• Open-ended: "Can you walk me through your current process for...?"

• Probing: "Why is that important to your team?"

• Clarifying: "When you say 'real-time', what timeframe do you mean?"

• Hypothetical: "If you could change one thing about the current system, what would it be?"

STAR Technique (for process understanding):

• Situation: "Describe a typical scenario when you..."

• Task: "What are you trying to accomplish?"

• Action: "What steps do you take?"

• Result: "What's the outcome? What could be better?"

2. Requirements Workshops

Best for: Cross-functional alignment, brainstorming, consensus building

Approach:

• Participants: 6-12 stakeholders from different departments

• Duration: 2-4 hours

• Facilitation: Use visual aids (whiteboards, Figma, Miro)

• Techniques:

• Brainstorming sessions

• Affinity mapping (group similar ideas)

• Dot voting (prioritization)

• Process walkthroughs

Workshop Agenda Template:

• Introduction & objectives (10 min)

• Current state review (30 min)

• Pain points identification (30 min)

• Future state visioning (45 min)

• Requirements brainstorming (45 min)

• Prioritization exercise (30 min)

• Next steps & action items (10 min)

3. Document Analysis

Best for: Understanding existing systems, compliance requirements, historical context

Documents to Review:

• Existing system documentation

• Business process manuals

• User guides and training materials

• Compliance and regulatory documents

• Analytics reports and dashboards

• Support tickets and bug reports

• Competitive analysis reports

Analysis Approach:

• Identify gaps between documented and actual processes

• Extract business rules and constraints

• Understand data structures and relationships

• Note assumptions and dependencies

4. Observation & Job Shadowing

Best for: Understanding actual workflows, identifying undocumented processes

Approach:

• Shadow users in their work environment

• Observe without interrupting (take notes)

• Note workarounds and pain points

• Follow up with clarifying questions

• Document the "as-is" process flow

Focus Areas:

• Frequency of tasks

• Time spent on activities

• Tools and systems used

• Handoffs between teams

• Error-prone steps

5. Surveys & Questionnaires

Best for: Gathering input from large user groups, quantitative data

Best Practices:

• Keep surveys short (10-15 questions max)

• Use mix of question types (multiple choice, rating scales, open-ended)

• Ensure anonymity when appropriate

• Set clear deadline for responses

• Analyze and share results

Question Examples:

• Rating: "On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with the current checkout process?"

• Multiple choice: "Which payment methods do you use most frequently?"

• Open-ended: "What's the biggest challenge you face when processing orders?"

6. Prototyping & Mockups

Best for: Validating UI/UX requirements, visual requirements

Approach:

• Create low-fidelity wireframes (Figma, sketches)

• Present to stakeholders for feedback

• Iterate based on input

• Use clickable prototypes for user testing

• Document feedback and requirements

Requirements Categorization

Functional Requirements

Definition: What the system should do

Examples by Domain:

• E-commerce: "System shall allow users to add products to cart", "System shall calculate shipping costs based on destination"

• ERP: "System shall generate purchase orders from approved requisitions", "System shall support multi-currency transactions"

• CRM: "System shall track lead sources and conversion rates", "System shall send automated follow-up emails"

• CDP: "System shall unify customer data from web, mobile, and CRM", "System shall create audience segments based on behavior"

• Mobile/Web: "App shall work offline and sync when connected", "Website shall load in under 3 seconds"

Non-Functional Requirements

Categories:

• Performance: Response time, throughput, scalability

• Security: Authentication, authorization, data encryption

• Usability: User experience, accessibility (WCAG compliance)

• Reliability: Uptime, error handling, disaster recovery

• Compatibility: Browser support, device support, integrations

• Compliance: GDPR, CCPA, SOX, industry regulations

Examples:

• "System shall support 10,000 concurrent users"

• "All sensitive data shall be encrypted at rest and in transit"

• "System shall achieve 99.9% uptime"

• "Mobile app shall support iOS 15+ and Android 12+"

Constraints

Types:

• Technical: Must use existing infrastructure, specific technology stack

• Business: Budget limitations, timeline constraints

• Regulatory: Must comply with specific regulations

• Organizational: Must integrate with existing systems

Domain-Specific Considerations

E-commerce Projects

Key Areas to Explore:

• Product catalog management (variants, attributes, inventory)

• Shopping cart and checkout flow

• Payment gateway integration and security

• Order management and fulfillment

• Customer accounts and profiles

• Promotions and discount rules

• Search and filtering capabilities

• Product recommendations

• Multi-channel selling (web, mobile, marketplace)

Critical Questions:

• "How do you handle inventory across multiple warehouses?"

• "What payment methods must be supported?"

• "How should abandoned carts be handled?"

• "What's the return and refund process?"

ERP Projects

Key Areas to Explore:

• Module scope (Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, etc.)

• Master data management strategy

• Inter-module workflows and integration

• Approval hierarchies and workflows

• Reporting and analytics requirements

• Multi-company/multi-currency needs

• Role-based access control

• Compliance requirements

Critical Questions:

• "What approval levels are required for purchase orders?"

• "How do you handle inter-company transactions?"

• "What financial reports are required for compliance?"

• "How should employee data be structured?"

CRM Projects

Key Areas to Explore:

• Lead capture and qualification process

• Sales pipeline stages and criteria

• Contact and account hierarchies

• Marketing campaign management

• Customer service ticketing

• Integration with email, phone, marketing tools

• Sales forecasting methodology

• Reporting and dashboards

Critical Questions:

• "What defines a qualified lead?"

• "What's your sales process from lead to close?"

• "How do you measure customer satisfaction?"

• "What integrations are needed with existing tools?"

CDP Projects

Key Areas to Explore:

• Data sources (web, mobile, CRM, e-commerce, offline)

• Customer identity resolution strategy

• Data governance and privacy compliance

• Segmentation and audience building

• Real-time vs. batch processing

• Data activation channels

• Analytics and reporting needs

• Integration with marketing tools

Critical Questions:

• "How do you identify the same customer across channels?"

• "What customer attributes are most important?"

• "What marketing channels will consume this data?"

• "How will you handle consent management?"

Mobile/Web Projects

Key Areas to Explore:

• Platform requirements (iOS, Android, Web, PWA)

• Responsive design needs

• Offline functionality requirements

• Performance expectations

• Push notification strategy

• Deep linking and app navigation

• Authentication and security

• App store requirements

• Analytics and tracking

Critical Questions:

• "What features must work offline?"

• "What devices and OS versions must be supported?"

• "How will users authenticate?"

• "What analytics events need to be tracked?"

Elicitation Best Practices

1. Prepare Thoroughly

• Research the business domain

• Review existing documentation

• Prepare questions in advance

• Identify right stakeholders

• Schedule adequate time

2. Listen Actively

• Don't interrupt

• Take detailed notes

• Ask clarifying questions

• Paraphrase to confirm understanding

• Watch for non-verbal cues

3. Ask the Right Questions

• Start broad, then drill down

• Use open-ended questions

• Avoid leading questions

• Challenge assumptions

• Ask "why" multiple times (5 Whys technique)

4. Document Immediately

• Capture requirements in real-time

• Use templates for consistency

• Record decisions and rationale

• Note assumptions and dependencies

• Share notes for validation

5. Validate and Confirm

• Review requirements with stakeholders

• Check for completeness and clarity

• Resolve conflicts and ambiguities

• Get formal sign-off

• Maintain traceability

6. Handle Conflicts

• Acknowledge different perspectives

• Focus on business objectives

• Use data to support decisions

• Escalate when necessary

• Document trade-offs

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ Assuming you understand the domain - Always verify your understanding ❌ Accepting vague requirements - Push for specificity and measurability ❌ Skipping non-functional requirements - They're critical for success ❌ Ignoring edge cases - Ask "what if" questions ❌ Not documenting assumptions - Make implicit knowledge explicit ❌ Talking more than listening - 80/20 rule: listen 80%, talk 20% ❌ Jumping to solutions - Understand the problem first ❌ Not validating requirements - Always confirm understanding

Tools for Hybrid Methodology

Lark

• Use Docs for interview notes and requirements documentation

• Use Base for requirements tracking and traceability

• Use Meetings for recording sessions

• Use Tasks for action items

Notion

• Create requirements database with properties (priority, status, owner)

• Use templates for consistency

• Link requirements to user stories and test cases

• Create stakeholder directory

Figma

• Create wireframes and mockups during elicitation

• Use FigJam for workshop collaboration

• Prototype user flows for validation

• Share designs for feedback

Output Artifacts

After requirements elicitation, you should produce:

• Requirements Register: Comprehensive list of all requirements

• Interview Notes: Detailed notes from stakeholder sessions

• Workshop Outputs: Diagrams, prioritization results, decisions

• Process Maps: Current state and future state flows

• Assumptions Log: Documented assumptions and constraints

• Stakeholder Matrix: Who provided which requirements

• Open Questions List: Items requiring follow-up

Next Steps

After completing requirements elicitation:

• Organize and categorize requirements

• Prioritize using MoSCoW or RICE (see requirements-prioritization skill)

• Validate requirements with stakeholders

• Create BRD (see brd-creation skill)

• Develop detailed FRS (see frs-creation skill)

References

• BABOK® Guide (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) - Requirements elicitation techniques

• IIBA Standards - Professional BA practices

• Agile Extension to BABOK® Guide - Elicitation in Agile contexts

• IEEE 29148 - Requirements engineering standard